So what's the story?
by JustAnotherShipper
Summary: Rei and Minako have been officially dating for a few weeks now. The details of how the couple got together, however, have been kept under lock and key... Until now. Fluffy, cute and silliness ensues. T for language and possibly steamy goodness. ReixMinako
1. What's the scoop?

**ATTN: Bienvenue tout le monde, It's been awhile since I've written a fic, let alone submit one, albeit under a different account, so bear with me. Well, what can I say? I obviously don't own any of the following characters, just this silly storyline. And this storyline is just mean to be that: cute, silly and as fluffy as cotton candy. Please try not to mind any OOC-ness, like previously mentioned, my fic writing skills are a bit rusty. Well, here it goes, enjoy!**

There was a slight disturbance at the burger joint. Under normal circumstances, the group of five girls, with their two feline companions to observe and give advice, would be the ones to stop any mischief. Unfortunately, for the other diners, they were the ones causing it. They weren't doing anything bad, per se, just being a bit loud. And laughing. There was a lot of that.

"-and so when she called on me in class, of course I didn't know the answer! I just said, 'chocolate cake'!" Usagi exclaimed.

All the other girls laughed loudly, some more than others. The napping cats at their feet didn't seem to mind, but the diners around them groaned a bit, sucked it up and carried on. Makoto, sipping on her milkshake, was dangerously close to spitting the remaining bits of drink in her mouth back out. As the laughter died down, Ami piped up.

"So Usagi, how is Mamoru's schooling in America going? You know, now that he's finally there." Ami inquired. Makoto's eyes went back on the two of them.

"Oh, I just talked to him last night, he's doing fine! He told me that his classes were getting hard but he's adju-" Usagi started. She was cut off from giggling from across their booth. The three girls turned their heads toward the other two girls who were holding hands under the table. The raven-haired girl and the blonde-haired girl have been dating for a few weeks, now. After the laughing fit, they had begun a war of pokes and nudges, which had led to their giggles.

"I... I think you hear enough about Mamoru from me. We know he's bound to do well. What I'm more interested in is hearing about these two" Usagi said while gesturing towards the two girls. Makoto, Ami and Usagi knew they've been together as soon as they got together. The blue-eyed girl couldn't keep her mouth shut about it. The details of how it finally happened, however, have been kept under lock and key. That is, until this moment.

"I'm curious about them too..." Makoto said, smirking. "Hey Minako, Rei, we're talking to you two."

The two stopped giggling and looked towards their friends. Minako laughed an awkward laugh while a slight blush appeared on Rei's face. After a few moments of silence, Ami was the one to ask the question, perharps to further her knowledge on these two young lovebirds.

"So. We were just wondering... I'm not sure how to word this properly," Ami started. "But how exactly did you two get together and become official?" Rei and Minako gave each other quick side glances. The violet eyes began to look away from her friends as the blue eyes began to grin. Grinning would actually be an understatement, her eyes beaming at the chance to tell her friends the "dirty deets."

"Okay, okay. I'll spill the beans... As long as Rei doesn't mind." Minako said teasingly.

"Whatever makes you happy." Rei grunted.

**It's a slow start, I know, but the pace will pick up next chapter. And that chapter will be up tomorrow, hopefully! Say nice things, critique, leave reviews. Whatever your heart desires. **


	2. Minako's memory

**ATTN:** **Right, so. Disclaimer, disclaimer, I don't own these lovely characters. The characters will seem OOC but that's alright, isn't it? Blah blah blah, let's get on to the story. **

Minako excitedly began, "So, It all happened on that day..."

* * *

><p>There were several knocks on the door before Minako got to it. She ran across the hallway in high-waisted denim shorts, a white crop top, her socks, and of course, the signature red ribbon. She grabbed the handle of the door to open it. There, a girl with a purple tank top that matched her purple eyes, and red pants was standing, giving her a sly smirk.<p>

"Thanks for coming, Rei! You know, it gets pretty lonely watching the house by myself." Minako told her. She had to watch the house since her parents were away on a couple's retreat of some sort. She didn't exactly know the details and, hell, she didn't want to.

"Anything for you," Rei said in a silky tone. Minako arched an eyebrow as she lead Rei inside.

"Are those flowers for me?" She gaped at a brilliant, extravagent bouqet Rei had in her hands. It was filled with wonderfuls, exuberent reds and oranges and yellows. Why she hadn't noticed it before was beyond her.

"Of course they are, darling. I figured you would need something to keep you company once I've left you in the morning. I passed a flower shop along the way and once I saw this bouquet I immeadiately thought of you and your beauty." Minako blushed.

"Aw, shucks, that's so sweet!" She giggled. They walked into the kitchen. It was around dinner time, and both girls were a little bit hungry. "Hey, I'll be right back, I'm just going to go get a vase for these flowers and then maybe we could order pizza or something." She turned to Rei, who was shaking her head.

"No, don't worry my pumpkin. While you get the vase, I will prepare something for us to eat." Rei suavely stated. Minako simply nodded. _'That's nice of her to whip something up for us to eat.' _She left the kitchen in search of a vase. She opened her storage closet and after a few minutes she found a vase. She returned to kitchen to fill it up with water but upon returning she received a pleasant surprise. A delicious aroma filled the air as Rei was setting down plates of food onto the kitchen table. She set the vase on the sink and then turned to Rei, giving her a surprised look.

"Wow, that smells wonderful!" Minako said, praising Rei's almost magical efforts. Rei flashed her a smile, taking a seat. She gestured for Minako to take a seat as well, but an idea sparked in her mind. "One moment, Rei!" She went to the refrigerator and pulled out two glass bottles. After opening the removing the cork from one of the bottles, she took out to special glasses from the pantry. She brought them over to a confused Rei. "It's sparkling apple cider, you know, to compliment your fantastic cooking. Don't worry, it's perfectly legal for us to drink." Rei just nodded. Minako poured the drink into their glasses.

"Cheers!" Minako cheered cheerily.

"Cheers." Rei replied. The both drank from their glasses and began eating. Throughout the course of the meal, they would laugh and giggle and talk and talk and talk. Minako brought out dessert after they finished their main course. By the end of the meal, the girls had cleaned out everything, from the food to the bottle of cider.

"Rei, I'll take care of all of this, why don't you pick a movie for us to watch to kill the time?" Rei insisted that she help clear the table, but Minako shooed her away. "Don't worry, I got this covered." Rei then swaggered towards the living room. Minako put away the dirty dishes, except for the glasses. She figured they may as well finish of the second bottle while they were at it. She returned to the vase, filling it with water and placing it at the center of the table. Once the cork was removed from the bottle of apple cider, she walked into the living room carrying the bottle and glasses. She noticed Rei laying in a compromsing position on the couch. She was looking intently at the screen. When Minako became audible, Rei straightened up and looked towards her, smirking. Minako couldn't help but notice how seductive that smirk was placed on Rei's face.

"Take a seat, will you?" Rei insisted, using the 'come hither' gesture to call Minako over. As Minako took a seat, Rei said. "Oh good you brought drinks. I hope you don't mind, but I chose _The Notebook_ for this evening's cinema choice. I'm not sure what's wrong with this DVD player, though, so we'll have to sit through the damned trailers." Minako squealed on the inside, jumping for joy. Boy, did she love this movie. She poured the drinks into their glasses once again.

"How did you enjoy the meal?" Rei said, turning her face to Minako's once again. They sat on the opposite ends of the couch.

"It was excellent! I didn't know you had it in you to make something like that." Minako said, once again praising her chef.

"What- oh right. My cooking. Well I'm glad you liked it. Oh, looks like the movies on. Finally." She took a large gulp of her drink and returned to facing the screen. Over the course of the movie, the two found themselves magically inching themselves closer and closer to one another when, during the movie's finish...

"Oh... Why Rei? Why did it have to happen to them? They were so cute!" Minako was bawling her brains out, unable to contain the sadness in her heart, even if she's seen this movie a handful of times before. Rei turned off the TV and took Minako into her arms. Minako felt warm hands carefully removing tears from her face. Minako was suddenly soothed by the caress of the raven-haired girl. The hands moved Minako's face toward their owner's face. Minako suddenly realized how close she was to Rei. The amethyst eyes looked tenderly into the blue eyes.

"Don't worry my pookie-bear, everything will be alright. At least they are happy in the end. Happy and in love." Rei said, soothing Minako. She stroked the blonde hair, and the blonde haired girl began to stop crying. She calmed down and felt Rei's chest move up and down in a slow rhythym. At that moment, she started to feel very sleepy.

"Umm. Rei, I feel kind of sleepy, maybe we should head to bed." Minako told Rei, but Rei just held her in her arms. Truth be told, they were both very comfortable in that position.

"It's okay my sweet, just stay here in my strong, passionate arms and I will protect you from all misery and woe." Rei told her. Minako nuzzled Rei's neck, getting comfy, and Rei kissed her lightly on the lips once before Minako drifted to sleep...

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><p>"... and then when we woke up, we talked about our feelings and ended up being an official couple!" Minako finished her story excitedly. She examined the looks on her three friends' faces to see that they were just... confused. She looked over at Rei, whose expression was incomprehensible. She turned back to her three friends, staring blankly at them. Under Minako's gaze, Ami finally broke the silence.<p>

"That was a very... Interesting story?" Ami finally concluded. Minako cocked her head to the side, still confused. She though her friends would be amazed by their romantic tale. "Something was off with Rei..."

"Sort of anti-climatic if you ask me. I mean, it was kind of going everywhere and nowhere at the same time." Makoto added. Minako felt frustration welling up inside her. Why were her friend's critiquing her and Rei's love story?

"Well, I thought the ending was cute and romantic." Usagi said half of her trying to appease an offended Minako, half trying to find something nice to say in general. Even though Usagi sounded unsure of herself, Minako sighed inwardly. _Leave it to the optimist to make me feel a bit better_. Yet, those same words that made Minako feel better were the final breaking point for Rei.

"Hahahahahaha! What the hell?" Rei bursted out, laughing uncontrollably. This sudden outburst made all of her friends, her girlfriend and the irritated diners give the usually composed one a strange look. "Oh my goodness. You weren't saying that story for shits and giggles?" The blue eyes already looking at her were starting to transition from a strange look to an angry one.

"I don't know what you're talking about Rei. That's exactly how I remember it happening." Minako claimed defensively. Rei was about to start laughing again, but held it in. Makoto, Ami and Usagi were just a bit confused.

"Are you really serious?" Rei asked her girlfriend. She didn't need a verbal confirmation, however, since Minako looked ready to bite off her ear. "Mina... think about it, when have I ever called you darling and, for goodness sakes, pookie bear?" Minako pouted.

"I... Fine! Why don't you tell them what you think happened, and then we'll see who's being ridiculous." Minako challenged Rei. Rei smirked, always one to enjoy challenges. She calmly recollected everything she could remember that happened that wonderful night in her head while Minako sipped her soda with plenty of angry gusto.

"After that story, it seems like the Martian is going to be winning this battle." Makoto quietly whispered to herself as Rei was preparing to tell her tale.

"Makoto!" Usagi chided the brunette, obviously hearing the comment. Makoto just flashed her a sheepish grin. "Well, I'm a bit excited to see what Rei's side of the story is. Maybe it'll be more romantic than what Minako told us."

"And hopefully executed better. Honestly, Minako's story was all over the place and the there were hardly any transitions!" Ami critiqued. The three of them chuckled, and then tuned into the Rei.

**And there you have it folks, Minako's side of the story. In case you couldn't tell, it was purposefully written to be a sort of organized mess. Stay tuned, and things will start to make sense. Hopefully you wonderful people are enjoying yourselves so far! Next chapter up as soon as possible. Question, comments, constructive criticism and rude remarks are all welcome in the reviews. **


	3. Rei's Recollection

**ATTN: Ahem. I do not own Sailor Moon. This chapter may either clarify things or leave you even more confused. You have been warned. **

Rei cleared her throat to indicate that she was ready. When all eyes were on her, she started.

"So I was on my way to her house when..."

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><p>Rei was walking down the street. She had received a call earlier from Minako, asking her to come over to keep her company as she watched her house that night. <em>To keep her company... <em>Rei repeated in her mind. A smirk formed on her face as dirty thoughts came into her mind. She quickly brushed those thoughts aside, however. _Rei Hino, you must compose yourself tonight. You absolutely cannot blow things tonight. _She repeated those lines in her head over and over when her mantra got interrupted. The route Rei was taking to Minako's house caused her to pass the flower shop Makoto was working part-time at. The brunette caught sight of the slightly determined looking girl and went outside to greet her.

"Oy, Rei!" Makoto called after her. Rei, startled out of her trance, turned towards the smiling brunette. "Where are you headed? It's getting close to dinner."

"Oh, just to Minako's place. Her parent's are out of town and she wanted me to head over and stay overnight." Rei bluntly stated. Makoto nodded and then her face lit up.

"Hold on a moment! I'll be right back," Makoto told Rei. She rushed back in the shop and put together a small bouquet. She came back outside, grinning sheepishly. She handed Rei the small arrangement. She looked at it; it contained well blended colors of orange tulips and red roses and yellow carnations. The beautiful arrangement just shouted one thing in Rei's mind. _Minako..._ A sly look was still plastered on Makoto's face.

"So," She started telling Rei. "I figured you could bring these to Minako since you're heading over there. Y'know, to keep her company?" Rei looked at the bouquet again and narrowed her eyes at Makoto.

_Does she know about how I feel about Minako? _Rei looked at Makoto who was now chuckling. The usually composed raven-headed girl just noticed her ears felt hot. _Yeah, she does._ Rei straightened up. "I guess I'll take these over to her then... on your behalf, of course." Makoto playfully nudged Rei and they both laughed. Rei started reaching into her bag to get some money for the bouquet, but Makoto stopped her.

"Rei, don't pay. These flowers are on me." She said smiling at Rei. Rei just smiled at her and mouthed the words "thank you" to Makoto. She chuckled. "Don't mention it. Now go get 'em tiger." She playfully shoved Rei forward and winked at her. Rei waved goodbye to Makoto and started heading towards Minako's house. It took her only a few minutes to get there. She arrived at the doorstep and started to feel a bit nervous. She was holding the bouquet in one hand and her other hand was empty. She formed a fist with her empty hand and put it near the door. _It's alright. You have nothing to be nervous about- you may possibly be in love with her but she's also your best friend! ... What the hell have I gotten myself into?_ She sighed and knocked on the door. She waited a few moments until she heard the door unlocking. In panic, Rei hid the bouquet behind herself at the same moment the door opened. She flashed Minako an unsure smile.

"Thanks for coming, Rei! You know, it gets pretty lonely watching the house by myself." Minako ended her statement in a pout. Rei made a noise similar to grunting and Minako lead them inside. Rei remembered the flowers she was holding in her hands.

"Oh." Rei thought aloud. Minako turned around to see the flowers she was holding. She looked excited to see them. "Right, these are for you." She told Minako, trying to sound nonchalant about it. She handed the flowers to Minako who quickly grabbed them from her. Minako turned away from her.

"Aw, shucks, that's so sweet!" Minako teasingly giggled. Rei shook her head, sighed inwardly and started to follow Minako. _Well it seems to be going pretty smooth so far_. She followed Minako into the kitchen. It was exactly how she remembered it from last time, a square dining table with seats for four, hardwood floors and tile kitchen counters. And a wonderfully large refrigerator. "Hey, I'll be right back, I'm just going to go get a vase for these flowers and then maybe we could order pizza or something." Rei thought for a moment. _As far as I remember, her parents usually always had good leftovers. They always ate out whenever Minako would be at one of our houses... and it would be a waste of Minako's money to buy some pizza so..._

"No, it's fine you don't have to buy pizza. I'm sure I can get something ready while you find a vase." Rei told Minako. Minako nodded and left the kitchen. Rei was no stranger to Minako's house as the girls occasionally hung out there. The reason Rei was so nervous is that it's never been that it was just her and Minako, and Rei really wasn't aware of her feelings for Minako until recently. She started toward the refrigerator and found boxes of Chinese Take-Out. _This should do_. She put the boxes in the microwave for a few minutes. She also took out plates and began to set up the table. She wandered around the kitchen looking at her surroundings. The microwave indicated that the time was over and Rei poured the food onto plates and threw out the empty containers. As she set the plates on the table, Minako walked in.

"Wow, that smells wonderful!" Minako sighed, smelling the scents. Rei couldn't tell if Minako was just teasing her or not. _I just microwaved leftovers..._ Rei decided it was best not to say anything on that matter, however. She sat down at the table and gestured for Minako to sit with her. Minako's face lit up with an idea. She was all over the kitchen before she returned to the table with two glasses and a glass bottle. Rei shot Minako a confused look. "It's sparkling apple cider, you know, to compliment your fantastic cooking. Don't worry, it's perfectly legal for us to drink." Rei continued looking at her strangely. _Fantastic cooking? _Rei sighed, agreeing to drink it. Minako poured the the drinks and cheerily cheered "Cheers!"

"Cheers," Rei said with less enthusiasm. She took a sip of the drink. "Minako, this tastes kind of different from the apple cider I'm used to." She told her. Minako, who had already finished her glass, told her, "Oh, this is because it's special. I think it's from France. That's why it tastes different." Rei shrugged and then began eating. The conversation was dull at first, but as the meal progressed they found themselves opening up more.

_I haven't laughed this much in awhile_. Rei began to feel less nervous about everything and just started to relax. Finally, after many fits of laughter and fun stories, they were done with all the food, including a cake Minako had brought out.

"Rei, I'll take care of all of this. Why don't you go ahead and pick a movie... seriously, go." Minako's tone changed when she saw that Rei was about to help her. The sudden change in her leader's tone caused her to go to the living room. It was exactly how she remembered it. Decent sized TV, lots of pictures of Minako and her family and a lovely, comfy brown couch in front of the TV. She moved toward the shelf that contained DVDs in it and with much deliberation, she finally picked a movie. _Ah, Paranormal Activity_... She popped it into the DVD player and turned on the TV. She tried to skip the trailers, but for whatever reason it wouldn't comply. As soon as Rei plopped her self on the couch, Minako came in with more drinks. Minako paused for a moment, so Rei sloppily called her over.

"Minako, take a seat, will you?" gesturing for her to take a seat as well. "Oh good, you brought more drinks! I chose _Paranormal Activity_, but I can't skip the trailers for some reason, so we'll have to sit through them." Minako sat herself on the other end of the couch. She faced Minako, who then faced her. Rei felt a tugging feeling at the back of her mind. Although normally she wouldn't dare say anything like what she was about to, she felt suddenly possessed by something to do so.

"So Minako, I was surprised you asked me to come over. I thought you'd want one of the other girls to stay with you instead." There was no hint of malice in her voice, just muted curiosity. The tone didn't matter, however, as Minako still seemed taken aback by the question.

"Don- Uh Don't be silly! You're my best friend, of course I'd want you to keep me company! And I thought you'd be busy with temple work..." Minako reassured her, albeit hesitantly. It was the hesitation that caused Rei to arch an eyebrow. "And the others are all busy right now. But that's okay, hey look the movies on now!" Minako quickly added the last part in order to avoid anymore awkward tension. In the beginning they were both fine, but midway through the movie, Rei found herself being caught in a death grip hug by a scared Minako. She hid her face in Rei's chest in order to hide her view from the movie.

"Turn it off! Turn it off now! I don't want to watch it anymore!" Minako said into Rei's chest. Rei blushed a little as she reached over to a remote to turn off the TV. They both stayed in that position, Rei comforting Minako in her "strong, passionate" arms._ This is nice..._ Rei thought. It took her a few moments to process the intimacy of their position, and it seems like they both realized it at the same time. As if on cue, they both jumped back to opposite ends of the couch. Rei quickly finished off the last bits of her drink and cleared her throat.

"Ahem. So what do you want to do now?" Rei asked Minako. Minako's face contorted into a thoughtful expression.

"Let's play a game!" Minako told her. Rei looked at Minako, who had a goofy smile on her face. Rei chuckled, when the butterflies in her stomach started to go crazy. _I have a feeling things are about to get interesting_.

"What kind of game?"

"Marco Polo!" Rei snorted at the game choice. She shook her head and sighed, looking at Minako.

"I think that'd be a hard game to play. You don't exactly have a swimming pool-" Rei started, but Minako interrupted.

"We could use my bathtub," She said flirtingly, winking at Rei. She giggled and Rei's face turned shades of red.

"Minako!" Rei said in a tone of surprise. The blonde just giggled even more. _This girl... honestly._ Suddenly, a gutsy feeling took over Rei. She flashed Minako a smile that indicated something interesting was about to happen.

"What's wrong, Mars, afraid of getting wet?" Minako teased. _Ah, those are fighting words, Venus._

"Ha, not at all. It's just that, when you said games, I thought you meant something else." Rei started. Minako suddenly look interested. Rei continued, "You know, games like Truth or Dare-"

"Let's play that!" Minako interrupted Rei once again. She looked excited. Rei laughed and they both faced each other. _This should be good_. Minako started, asking Rei the fated questions.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Dare." Minako looked over to the half full bottle of cider.

"I dare you to finish the rest of the bottle. In one sitting" Rei took the bottle in her hand. _Starting off easy, aren't you Minako?_ She put the bottle to her mouth and finished the bottle. She gasped for breath and looked at Minako.

"Truth er Dare?"

"Truth" _Damn, I had a good dare for her. _Rei thought for a moment and used that gutsy feeling she had earlier to muster the courage ask Minako.

"Okay, well... why did you ask me last? You know, to help you watch the house." She looked at Minako's face and noticed nervousness flashed in her eyes. She noticed Rei looking at her and turned away, yet Rei kept looking at her with curiosity.

"It's like this..." Minako started, seeming as though she was fishing for the right words. "I- don't take this the wrong way please. I was just a little nervous. Okay there, truth or dare?" She rushed the last part.

"But why were you nervous?" Rei started asking, but Minako shook her head.

"One question at a time, Rei. Now truth or dare?"

"Truth." Rei started to feel a bit irritated, but resigned to her leader. _I'll find out next time I ask her anyway._

"What do you think about me?" Rei looked at her in shock, but the blue eyes were filled with just nerves and curiosity.

"Well, obviously you're my leader, my comrade and best frien-"

"But what do you really think of me?"

Rei bit her lip. The butterflies in her stomach began to have a fiesta in there, as did that gutsy feeling. "You want to know what I really think?" Minako just nodded. Rei inched closer and closer to Minako as she said, "I think you're wonderful. You're silly, beautiful, crazy, strong, an amazing friend, leader, and most of all," she said, leaning into Minako's ear, "I think I really like you. Truth or dare." Rei was mentally kicking herself for telling Minako. She asked the question right away in order to somewhat distracting Minako, not allowoing Minako any time to think.

"I, um. Dare? Hold on Rei can we talk about this?" Minako stuttered. She seemed like she was still trying to process everything. Rei ignored the latter request.

"I dare you tell me why you were nervous." Rei told her. Technically that wasn't breaking the rules, right? _Technically_ Rei laughed in her mind. She was curious to hear what Minako had to leaned back a little in order to look at Rei's eyes.

"We're both incredibly dense, aren't we?" Minako laughed. She lifted her hand and held Rei's face. Their faces were merely inches apart. Rei blushed, but noticed Minako's hand was shaking. _Does she like me too? Is that it? Is that why her hands are shaking? Nervousness? Excitement? Anger? What was it?_ And then Rei was caught off guard when Minako's lips were planted softly against hers. Rei processed what was happening, smiled and kissed back. _Yep. Definitely likes me_, she noted. Minako and her kisses began to become more and more passionate...

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><p>"... We were really tired by the time it got to that point, though, so we sort of drifted into sleep in each other's arms. By the time we woke up, it was as Minako said earlier; we talked about what happened the night before and we became 'official.'" Rei finished the story. She examined the panel of judges who were listening to her story. Ami looked in deep thought, Makoto's expression was unreadable and Usagi looked pleased. She turned to Minako, who wore a puzzled expression.<p>

"Well, it definitely was an improvement from Minako's mess of a story." Makoto stated teasingly. Rei chuckled, but Minako seemed completely unfazed, still puzzled.

"Well the execution in the beginning was near perfect but as the story progressed it gets a hazier. Especially the ending, it seems completely unnatural that that's how the-" Ami stated, perhaps over analyzing Rei's recollection of the event a bit too much. However, she was interrupted by a disagreeing Usagi.

"Ami! I thought the ending was cute!" Usagi started. _You thought that the last time too_, Makoto said inside her head. "The passionate kiss! Comforting Minako! The drama-filled games!" She would have continued but Minako turned to Rei.

"Rei, I can't recall half of what you said. Are you sure you're not making things up?" Minako looked at her.

"Why would I make these up? I could have sworn you were pulling half of what you said out of thin air." Rei said, raising her voice. Of course, she was exaggerating. The stories were slightly similar, it's just the details that threw things off.

"But I don't even remember playing any games. Or having those conversations." Minako whined loudly. The two were about to have a large squabble, when the manager of the restaurant came over. They had all been finished with their meals when Minako started telling her story. They had just been lingering to hear the tales.

"Ladies, I'm sorry but you have been causing a bit of a ruckus and we've received many complaints. If you're finished with your meals I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave." He told them. He escorted them out as their cats snuck out. Usagi and Makoto giggled once they were out the door. Ami shook her head, realizing her friends had no shame in being kicked out. The couple, however, was brooding silently. They were all quiet as they headed over to a new location; the nearby park.

They all sat down in the grass. A cool breeze came over them.

"What I still don't understand is, why are the stories so different. I mean, obviously the structure is the same, but the details are just so... different. Different movies, different dialogue. I mean, I guess some of the happenings are purely based on perception..." Ami started, but trailed off as she went into thought. A voice cleared his throat. All five girls looked towards their forgotten companions, Artemis and Luna.

"Maybe I can offer some clarifications." Artemis looked at all of them, who looked at him with puzzled looks.

"Weren't you two sleeping the whole time?" Makoto asked.

"With the noise you girls were making? As if," Luna said, a small growl in her voice. Artemis chuckled.

"So would you like to hear how I remember the story?" He inquired. He looked towards Rei and Minako, who realized what he meant. For the other confused three, however, Luna clarified what he meant.

"It seems you have forgotten that Artemis happens to live in the same house as Minako. Therefore, he saw what happened and remembers everything clearly, unlike these two." Luna stated pointedly. She flashed Rei and Minako a curious look. They all understood and turned to Artemis.

"Well, we're waiting!" prodded the ever impatient Princess. She seemed to be enjoying these tales of love. Artemis sighed and did a quick cat stretch before jumping into the story.


	4. Artemis's Anecdote

**ATTN: I do not own Sailor Moon. This is the final chapter! Thank you for everyone who enjoyed my story and I hope this is a good finale. **

Artemis started, "So it began when Minako..."

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><p>"ARTEMIS!" Minako chided the poor, unsuspecting white cat. His head jerked up to find a panicked, frazzled blonde trying to clean up the mess she left in the living room. "Help me clean up! Rei just called and she said she's going to be here in a few minutes!"<p>

Artemis sighed. Minako hardly cared about the cleanliness of her house when her other friends came over. Rei on the other hand... He shook his head. "I'd love to help you clean up, Minako but I'm missing something called opposable thumbs. Besides, everything's almost decent." He said, reviewing the house's sanitation. Minako agreed and disappeared into her room for a few minutes. Artemis took this time to get settled once again on the couch, only to have the blonde bombshell return, screaming his name.

"Artemis! Which one should I wear?" She asked him. He saw that she also fixed her tangled mess of hair into her usual hairstyle. He then noticed the two outfits that Minako was holding in her hand. In her right was a very, very tiny cocktail dress with a very low neckline. In her other hand was something Artemis couldn't find the words to describe. The top was similar to a bikini and the bottom were what were supposed to be shorts, he assumed, but it looked like it would barely cover any of Minako's body. He was horrified at the two choices.

"Minako I hardly think these are appropriate for just a friend coming over," He started. He looked back at the clothes she was currently wearing. "And what's wrong with what you're wearing now? They were fine when Ami and Usagi were here earlier." He looked over at the girl, who put the ridiculous outfits down. She sat slumped as she sat next to him on the couch.

"I can't wear this. It's Rei, I have to impress her." She told him. When he gave her a knowing grin, she looked at him in surprise. "I mean, because she's my b-best friend and... I can't look mediocre for my second in comman- you know what I me- ARTEMIS!" She managed to sputter out, however incoherent her words were. Her face matched the shade of her signature ribbon and Artemis couldn't contain his laughter.

"Yes, Minako. I know exactly what you mean." He told her, giving her a feigned innocent smile. In reality, everyone knew what she truly meant. Luna, Makoto, Ami, Usagi- Even Usagi knew exactly what she meant. Recently, whenever the two "best friends" were together, the sexual tension between them was so thick he could cut it with his claws. The two were just too oblivious to realize this. However, the tension rose every day, and it was just a matter of time before one of them caved in. "Minako, just wear what you're wearing. You look fine, besides I hardly think you'll 'impress' Rei with just a bikini."

"It's not a bikini. It's a bandeau and booty shorts," she mumbled to herself as she put her clothes back in her room. Artemis just shook his head again. As if 'booty shorts' were any better. And what in Mau's name was a bandeau? Just as she came back out, there were three loud knocks on the door. Minako looked at Artemis wide-eyed and ran to the door.

"Heh, this should be a fun evening." Artemis said quietly to himself. Although it's not as if Minako would have noticed, since she was too busy pulling herself together before opening the door. Artemis walked up next to Minako and gave her a reassuring looking. Minako gave him a small smile and put her hand on the door handle. She turned the knob. There stood Rei, in all her nervous glory. Although Minako hadn't noticed, Artemis saw that, as soon as the door opened, Rei hid something behind her back. Definitely going to be a fun evening, he thought to himself.

"Thanks for coming, Rei! You know, it gets pretty lonely watching the house by myself." Although Minako probably meant to end the statement teasingly, to Artemis it sounded more needy than anything else. Rei smirked at Minako.

"Nice to see you to, Minako." Rei told Minako, in her usual calm demeanor. She seemed to have pulled herself together as well, Artemis noted. Rei turned towards him and smiled. "Hello Artemis!" The cat smiled at her as Minako lead her into the house.

"Hello, Rei." As they walked in, he noticed a bouquet of flower behind Rei. He started to do some meddling. "Say Rei, who are those for?" Her face started to turn pink as Minako turned around to see what Artemis was talking about. Rei shot Artemis a look, sighed and walk towards Minako.

"Right, well these are for you." Rei handed Minako the flowers. Minako's face lit up and she blushed. However, it seemed Rei's nerves took over again and all romantic momentum that was started in that moment seemed to be destroyed in the next. "Um, I passed by Makoto's flower shop and she told me to give these to you, I- uh." Minako's beaming face transitioned into one of slight disappointment. She masked it with a polite smile.

"Aw, shucks, that's so sweet of her to think of me. And thank you for delivering." Minako winked and headed towards the kitchen. Artemis noticed that Rei seemed to be mentally kicking herself for her romance faux-pas. Artemis chuckled. Five minutes and things were already taking a turn for the awkward. Oh, to be young and in love.

As Minako went into the kitchen, she opened a can of kitty food for Artemis and set his food and water down. He purred and began to start eating. The next moments happened hazily, as he was too busy paying attention to his food. He vaguely recalled Rei microwaving food and Minako looking for a vase. He vaguely recalled Minako commenting on Rei's "cooking" and Rei being confused. He also recalled when Minako brought out the cider, Rei's confusion only doubling. His attention went up as his food supply went down, so he was able to note how when the two began to eat, there was dull small talk. The noise would escalate as their dinner went on; from small talk, to giggling and gossip, to laughing at everything and nothing. He smiled as he observed them; it didn't matter if they were lovers or not, the two were still best friends.

As they finished their dinner, Minako brought out dessert. Rei was finishing the last drops of drink in her glass. Minako brought out the fluffy cake and set it on the table.

"Wow, that looks so good!" Rei told Minako enthusiastically.

"I know right? Usagi brought it earlier..." Minako trailed off. Rei looked at her funny for a moment, but shrugged off any speculation she had for now. Minako poured the remaining amount of liquid from the first bottle into Rei and her glasses. Minako's nerves were up a bit again, probably from the slip up. No one but Artemis would have noticed it though, because as soon as they started eating the cake, all tension went flying out the window. They were back laughing and eating sweets to their hearts content.

Once they finished their merry food shenanigans, Minako ordered Rei to go pick a movie, no matter how many times Rei insisted on helping. Rei strided with as much dignity as she could out of the living room. He followed Rei to see what movie she was going to pick. Without any deliberation, Rei grabbed the first movie she saw. She looked at it and laugh.

"Hey... hey Art-mis, is this a good movie?" She asked him. He looked at the title. _Knocked Up? _He gave her a questioning look.

"Mars," he started scoldingly. "I hardly think this movie's appropriate, let alone your type of movie." Rei only responded with a giggle. Artemis sighed, thinking the scolding charade would sober her up. Apparently only Luna can pull that off, he thought, smiling to himself. Rei started to toy with the DVD player and turned on the TV. She started cursing to herself when the trailers wouldn't skip and she plopped down on the couch, lacking any of the grace Artemis was used to seeing from the girl. Minako walked in moments later with another bottle of cider and their two cups. Rei, at the sight of Minako, straightened up. She flashed Minako a sheepish grin as Minako stopped in her tracks.

"Minako, take a seat, will you?" Rei used her whole body to excitedly gesture Minako towards her. "Oh good you brought drinks. Guess what I picked?" Minako narrowed her eyes in thought, and shrugged. Rei continued, "_Knocked Up!_" Minako smiled. " But... I can't skip the trailers for some reason, so I guess we'll have to sit through them."

"Oh, right. The DVD player was broken, so Ami came over with Usagi earlier to fix it. She got it to work, but it can't skip the trailers for whatever reason." Minako told her. Rei narrowed her eyes again, and Artemis shook his head. Minako's mouth didn't seem to have a filter at the moment. Rei furrowed her eyebrows. The cogs in her mind seemed to be turning, and she faced Minako.

"So Minako, I'm surprised you asked me to come over. I thought you'd have asked the other girls to stay with you the whole time instead." Rei turned to her, with curiosity masking the small hurt in her voice. Artemis wasn't sure if Minako picked up the hurt, but she seemed more embarassed by the question than anything.

"Don- Uh Don't be silly! You're my best friend, of course I'd want you to keep me company!" Minako spoke hesitantly. Rei narrowed her eyes and arched an eyebrow. Under the pressure, it seemed all the filters in Minako's brain had broke. "I mean, Usagi and Ami came over earlier and I begged them to stay, but they were busy. I asked Makoto but she said she had work today and then there wasn't anyone else but you. So that's when I called you." Rei looked hurt and Minako's eyes widened, and now she was the one mentally kicking herself. Rei didn't feel like prodding anymore, because she didn't want to make things worse for herself. She took a deep breath and tried to lighten the mood.

"How did you enjoy the meal?" she asked, sarcasm oozing from her voice. Artemis noticed the girl was still hurt, but desperately trying to get away from the subject for now.

"It was excellent! I didn't know you had it in you to make something like that." Minako said, completely unaware of the sarcasm. "Oh, it looks like the movie's starting." Artemis settled in the hallway between the living room and the kitchen. He wasn't interested in watching that movie with them, but he was close enough to keep an eye out on those two. Right at the start of the movie, the two started laughing. This laughing was ceaseless, which Artemis found really strange. Even if the movie is a comedy, it can't be that funny. It wouldn't have surprised him if it was just Minako laughing the whole time with Rei sitting there slightly disgruntled. No, they were both laughing. And it wasn't subdued laughter either, they were so loud the neighbors could probably hear them. Rei and Minako had laughed their way to each other; Minako's head was resting on Rei's shoulder as she was still giggiling. And that's when Artemis became highly suspicious. He went back into the kitchen and jumped onto the kitchen sink where Minako left the empty bottle of cider. He closely examined the bottle. It said: French Apple Cider. Artemis widened his eyes.

"Minako..." he huffed. The girl should know better than this, honestly. French Apple Cider contained alcohol. He shook his head. Hopefully the girls' alcohol tolerance was high... but considering the girls probably have never drank before this, he doubted it. Artemis thought about it for a moment. As long as the girls weren't too drunk, hopefully they wouldn't get into too much trouble. Hell, maybe it will help them finally break the ice and get together. The whole team (besides the obvious Minako and Rei) knew it would be better for their leader and her second in command to get together than keep stay sexually tense. Even Luna agreed that they would sometimes get nowhere due to the nature of their romantic relationship, or lack thereof.

And then Artemis realized they were drinking another bottle of cider. Instinctively, he started towards them, but he stopped himself in the hallway. Maybe, just maybe, if they were to loosen up a bit more, things would go the way he knew was beneficial for the team. They way the team wanted it. The way he knew Minako wanted it. He took his place in the hallway to observe them.

Minako had a bored expression on her face. Gone was the fits of laughter that had been going on for a good twenty minutes. She looked as if she was done with the movie and Rei looked as if she was done too. Artemis also noticed the bottle of cider, this one also French, was halfway gone as well.

"Rei, this movie's starting to get boring." Minako huffed. She got off of Rei's shoulder and reached for the remote. She looked at Rei. "Do you mind?" Rei shook her head. Minako turned off the TV and DVD player and looked at Rei. They were facing each other.

"Well, Mina," a slightly tipsy Rei said. Artemis and Minako both had a surprised look on their face. Rei wasn't one that usually used nicknames. Minako, in trying to hide her surprise, began to take a drink. "What do you want to do now?" A big, goofy grin on Rei's face. Taking a cue from "Mina," she took a drink from her glass as well.

"Let's play a game!" Minako returned the big, goofy grin.

"What kind of game?"

"Marco Polo!" Rei snorted and Artemis couldn't help but snort as well. Was the girl drunk already?

"I think that'd be a hard game to play. You don't exactly have a swimming pool-"

"We could use my bathtub." Artemis could hear Rei choke on her drink. The alcohol definitely made Minako ballsy, that's for sure. He figured things were getting interesting, so being the curious kitty he was, he snuck in to the living room as quietly as possible, and he was able to see what was going on.

"Mina!" Rei chided as she blushed. There she goes again with the nicknames.

"What's wrong, Mars, afraid of getting wet?" Minako teased. Artemis looked at his partner in disbelief. Sure, she was a flirt, but when it came to Rei she was as subtle as a rhinoceros at a poacher's convention. Alcohol took care of that too, apparently.

Rei shook her head. "Not at all. I-It's just that, when you said games, I thought you meant something else." Minako suddenly looked at Rei with interest, as did Artemis. This is definitely going to get interesting. "You know, games like Truth or Dare, Ten Fingers, Seven Minutes of Heaven, Chicken-"

"I thought you didn't want to play pool games Rei." Minako said. The game Minako was referring to was the pool game chicken. It required more than just the two of them to play. And they were lacking said swimming pool, as mentioned earlier. Rei shook her head.

"It's not the one you play in the pool." Rei started. She looked hesitant to continue, but she had piqued Minako's interest, so she couldn't avoid it. She took another drink, and Artemis noticed her and Minako's face were getting rosier. "It's a popular game at my school. The girls love playing it for whatever reason. What you have to do is, there are two participants right? The two are the same gender, and what you have to is try to kiss and whoever backs out of the kiss loses." Minako thought for a moment, and Rei started to look nervous. A sly grin appeared on the blonde's face and Rei took that as her wanting to play. Artemis wasn't sure if he should cover his eyes, but once again his curiosity got the best of him. "You ready, Mina?"

Artemis looked on as the blonde and the raven-haired girl's faces were inching closer and closer to one another. It was very slow, though. He thought that both of them would take advantage of the fact that no one was around and use this moment to their emotion's advantage. He thought that they would finally kiss and things would be good. He wasn't expecting a loser. But, uncharacteristically, the Martian forfeited. This surprised Minako and Artemis alike. They both were not prepared for the sudden mood whiplash that was about to occur.

"I can't do this." Rei started. She looked at Minako with hurt eyes. She began to tear up and Minako looked horribly confused. She told Rei to cheer up, but obviously that didn't work. The tears started to fall from Rei's eyes, and Minako just told her to drink even more cider.

Artemis wasn't sure if it was the alcohol working on her emotions, or if it was the fact that they have completely forgotten Artemis' presence, but there was definitely something wrong if Rei was wearing her heart on her sleeve. She finished the glass that Minako gave her, and looked intently into her eyes. A fire was lit in the purple orbs.

"Why?" Tints of hurt still in the acidic voice. Minako, stunned by the sudden harshness, backed away. When Rei didn't continue, Minako had to ask.

"Why what?" Minako barked back with just as much harshness. Artemis sighed. He was in dire need of some popcorn.

"Why, why did you invite me last?" Rei sounded like a wounded, angry puppy. Minako was taken aback by the question, not thinking she would take too harshly to that. "I'm your best friend, right?"

"I just thought you'd be... um. Be busy at the temple? -ahem-, at the temple. I didn't want to bother you." The complete hesitation in her voice clued the tipsy miko in on the fact it was a big, fat lie. The intensity of her gaze made Minako feel under pressure.

"Okay, you want me to be completely honest?" Rei's increasingly intense gaze stated the obvious. "It was because I was nervous about you coming here. That's all."

"Why would you be nervous?"

"Why do you care? You were the one avoiding me in the first place!" It was true. Artemis recalled the recent meetings between the five of them. Everytime Minako would approach her, Rei seemed more distant. Along with a broken spirit, Minako became paranoid about Rei knowing about her feelings, but she wouldn't admit it to him.

"Because," Rei said quietly. She finished the remnants of cider left in the bottle. "I was nervous too." The sudden gentleness, the sad look, Minako moved closer to Rei. The blue eyes caught the purple eyes.

"Rei. What do you think of me?"

"Well... before all of this. I thought you were my best friend, my leader, my comrade who I can tru-" Minako shook her head.

"Rei. I mean in your heart. Don't lie to the Goddess of Love." Artemis chuckled in his head. No matter how good or intense or emotional things were getting, he had to remind himself; they are drunk. Rei swallowed the lump, and possibly all the nervousness in her throat.

"You want to... you want to know what I think?" Minako nodded. She braced herself, but she was not prepared at all for Rei's answer.

"I hate you." Minako looked hurt as she processed what Rei just said. Regardless, the wounded raven continued. "Do you know why I hate you? It's because I want you. I want you so badly that it hurts. I want your laugh, I want your smile, I want your red ribbon, I want your stupid big ego, I want your love. I want it all to be mine. I want you because I need you. I need you in my life. I need your trust, your dreams... I need it as much as I want it. It makes me nervous when I'm with or without you because I'm scared. I'm scared of losing you to some boy. Scared of scaring you off. Scared that I can't control myself when I'm around you. Scared that you won't want me." Rei paused. Her words were starting to slur and she needed to catch her breath. She bit her lip. "Damn you. Damn your beauty, your silliness, your craziness, your strength. Damn all of it. All of it because I can't have it. So there you have it. That's what I think. Are you happ-"

Rei's question was cut short by a premature response from Minako. She pinned Rei down on the couch and kissed her lightly. Before Rei could kiss back, Minako pulled from the kiss and whispered into her ear. "We're both incredibly dense, aren't we?" And immeadiately went back to kissing her. The light kisses turned into passionate kisses. Minako's hand traveled underneath Rei's top to feel the defined stomach hidden beneath the clothes. Rei's hand traveled, one through Minako's hair, the other up and down her back. Their passionate kissing became much like their cider, French. This only broke apart to have Minako pull off Rei's tank top and throw it across the room. Artemis suddenly realized how much he has watched, and retreated to Minako's room. Even then, he would officially need brain bleach to clear the things he heard.

...

He woke up the next morning, expecting to find Minako in her bed with Rei possibly in there too. He noted that the sheets had not been disturbed at all, and that there was no evidence of either even entering the room. He poked his outside into the hallway to see Rei and Minako stretching. Thankfully, they were both fully clothed.

"Good Morning!" Artemis said loudly. To his amusement, Minako cringed at the loud sound.

"Do you have to be so loud? Ugh, my head is killing me." Minako complained. Artemis chuckled. Apparently, Minako was the only one to get a hangover. I guess Rei can hold her liquor better, Artermis thought to himself.

"Maybe it's the way you slept." Rei kissed Minako's foreheard. She blushed at the contact, especially under Artemis's watchful eye. "Is that better?" Minako nodded shyly.

"You know, I don't even remember how I ended up there." Minako said. She thought long and hard, but couldn't remember.

"End up where? In my arms?"

"Yeah, in your strong, passionate arms." Minako teased flirtingly. "But, I vaguely remember us reaching an agreement."

"An agreement?" Rei looked interested. Minako came close to Rei again and took both of her hands in hers. Their fingers intertwined.

"Mhm. An agreement on this." And then Minako kissed her...

* * *

><p>"... and that, my friends, is really what happened." Artemis told them. Rei and Minako were still processing the fact that they were drunk for half the time of their magical night, Minako looking disappointed that she couldn't remember most of it. Makoto and Usagi looked as if they were content with the drama-filled romance. Luna, already having heard the story, was enjoying the petting session Ami was treating her to. It was Ami who looked flustered.<p>

"You let them drink alcohol? I thought you were our guides! That was very inappropriate to let them continue on with drinking." A disappointed Ami scolded the white feline. Makoto laughed at her friend.

"Relax, Ami. Think about it. If it weren't for the drinks, the two of them would have been stuck playing board games all night long and driving us even crazier." Makoto reasoned.

"I can't wait until Mamoru comes home so I can tell him all about it." Usagi still looked starry-eyed. Everyone but Minako and Rei laughed at Usagi's apparent obsession with their love story. Rei turned to Artemis looking confused.

"How much were you watching us?" She asked him. There was a tint of red on her face.

"Forget that! How much did you hear?" an apparently flustered Minako squealed. She turned to Rei. "How much was there to hear?"

Everyone else was trying to contain their laughter, trying to save their friends from more embarassment.

"Well, I'm sure I heard an 'Oh pookie bear' from a certain someone somewhere amidst all of that craziness." His head turned toward Rei. She was dumbfounded, and even Minako had to laugh.

"Oh gosh, I wish I could remember that. The first time I have se-" And then she looked in horror. "My first time and I didn't remember. My FIRST TIME and I didn't REMEMBER."

"Don't worry Minako, I can tell you more about it later." Rei gave her a devilish grin. Everyone laughed and Minako mumbled something about how it wasn't fair that she couldn't remember.

"What I don't understand is why all the movies were different." Ami asked. She looked towards Rei and Minako, who both gave guilty grins.

"Let's just say I had artistic license in the parts I couldn't remember." Rei told her sheepishly.

"And what about all the nicknames and romantic lines in your story? And all the other stuff that were really different?" Usagi asked this time, looking at Minako.

"Well, let's just say I had artistic license throughout the whole story." Minako laughed, and everyone followed suit.

"It's starting to get late," Luna said. They all began to get up. Ami, Usagi and Makoto started to move, the cats walking next to them. Far behind them, the couple was walking slowly.

"Pookie bear, huh?" Rei said, mostly to herself. "I really must have been drunk, then." Minako giggled. She kissed Rei on the cheek.

Minako sighed to herself. "No I was really drunk... not being able to remember my first time." She started grumbling to herself. Rei chuckled. She held Minako's hand and whispered into Minako's ear.

"Want me to help you remember tonight, pookie bear?"

"Yes, please."

**And it's over! Thanks for all the wonderful comments, everybody! I hope you enjoyed. **


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